Rick Porcello allowed his first runs of the spring -- four, but just one earned -- and the Tigers couldn't sufficiently solve CC Sabathia and the Yanks' relief corps in Friday's 6-2 loss.

Tigers outfielder Austin Jackson finished 0-for-3 with a nifty running catch in center in Friday's 6-2 loss to the Yankees -- his former team. But his speed made an impression.

Dontrelle Willis shook off back spasms to pitch three scoreless innings on Thursday, and Carlos Guillen added a big RBI double in the Tigers' 5-4 win over the Astros.

Manager Jim Leyland allowed Dontrelle Willis to stay in the game and escape from a jam, but he did not allow him to return for his fourth and final scheduled inning against the Astros. Instead, the left-hander headed to the trainer's room to receive treatment on his ailing back.

The Tigers crossed one name off their list of rotation candidates Thursday. Three days after Armando Galarraga's third uninspiring outing of the spring, the Tigers optioned the struggling right-hander to Triple-A Toledo.

Nate Robertson, is competing for one of Detroit's open rotation spots, allowed two runs in four innings in his fourth appearance of the spring. Robertson allowed four hits, walked one and struck out three in the Tigers' 6-3 win over the Pirates.

Carlos Guillen has learned over the years and over the injuries, from his days in Seattle to the past few seasons in Detroit, that he can't contribute to the team from the bench or the disabled list.

Thursday was a study in Nate Robertson using some of his old stuff in new ways. The slider had a lot of its old bite, but Robertson spotted it on inside and outside corners.

Bobby Seay came out of his first mound session with his shoulder feeling fine, he said Wednesday, but he's still awhile away from actually pitching in a game. That makes his readiness for Opening Day still awhile away from a definite answer.

Perhaps more than ever, offense is important to Gerald Laird, who has a responsibility to hit to help Detroit's lineup and maybe help himself in a contract year. Still, it'll never supplant his defense. Midway through Spring Training, there's reason to believe the balance is set.

Tigers president/GM Dave Dombrowski is watching prospective starters and weighing the rotation decisions to come. He also has to weigh the decisions that await the players who don't make it, but emphasized that he isn't letting contracts shape their final selections.

In his third spring start, ace Justin Verlander allowed three hits, four runs, one walk and two home runs in 3 2/3 innings as the Tigers fell to the Phillies, 6-1, on Tuesday in Clearwater, Fla.

Once the Tigers break camp from their Minor League Spring Training next month, they'll be entering some new digs in the Dominican Republic.

The one serious question the Tigers had about Austin Jackson coming into camp was whether he was ready to hit in the big leagues. His answer so far has been to tear up the Grapefruit League.

Scott Sizemore hit a leadoff homer, Miguel Cabrera added a two-run shot and Brennan Boesch also went deep, while Brent Dlugach delivered three late RBIs in Monday's 10-7 win over the Jays.

If Jeff Larish was supposed to be the forgotten man in Tigers camp this Spring Training, he isn't making it easy on the club to forget him.

After several lean years at the turn of the century, it's no surprise that the 2006 AL Champions make up the bulk of the Tigers All-Decade Team.

Johnny Damon had barely been a Tiger for two days when he was asked about batting second and what it could mean for his game. He turned the answer into a list of what he could do for the players around him.